Including Hard Landscaping And Retaining Boundary Walls, Department Of Engineering, Hudson Beare Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh University Kings Buildings, Mayfield Road

The Hudson Beare Lecture Theatre, part of the Department of Engineering at Edinburgh University Kings Buildings, was designed by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall and Partners between 1965 and 1970, with Blyth & Blyth as structural engineers and Crudens as contractors. This two-storey and basement theatre features a rectangular plan and is built in a Modernist style, set on a stepped concrete podium that also serves as gardens. The lower storey acts as a base for the overhanging raked seating area above. The structure is made of reinforced concrete and is clad in York stone slabs, topped with a curved copper-clad roof.

On the north elevation, there is a single-storey timber frame divided into seven vertical elements, featuring plate glass windows and doors at the entrance, with an advanced revolving door at the centre. A horizontal band of glazing is present at the mezzanine level. The east elevation has horizontal mezzanine windows, while the west elevation includes an additional entrance at the mezzanine level, accessible via an external staircase that extends above the podium edge. The south elevation, facing Buccleuch Place, mirrors the main entrance design on the north side at the sub-podium level, also featuring a revolving door and a foyer beneath a higher overhang, with clerestorey windows above the entrance.

Inside, a wide staircase ascends halfway before splitting into two return flights, leading to entrances on either side of the stage. Part of the sub-podium space is used as a Faculty car park, with a vehicle exit located to the left of the theatre in Buccleuch Place. The interior showcases extensive use of hardwood joinery and fittings throughout.